Since the fiasco of the broken level, we have been planning another coop. The Geek has been bringing home scrap 2×4’s from work for the past year. Each time the Man Who Knows Everything is here, we sketch ideas and discuss shed-roof versus a hip-roof. Finally the time was upon us to work on it! Naturally the heat index went through the roof but since TMWKE had just spent 2 weeks with Red, this seemed easy in comparison!

As you can see there is quite a size difference here. Right now the girls are just 8 weeks old and are managing in the old coop, but I think they are really going to appreciate the extra room!

Red is inspecting the progress. We point out exciting things like the awesome linoleum that is way nicer than what is in our kitchen and the chicken wire across the top for ventilation.

Red points out the nifty design features to Buddy, and apparently asks him to imagine opening the door.

As you can see there is a ever so slight difference between the “Coop Redo” and our first attempt. My suggestion? Never attempt a chicken coop without at least one Man Who Knows Everything.

You can’t see the beautiful shingles that the Geek got for 1/2 off and nailed down in the 90+ heat, but they are there! Man that is a sexy chicken coop! Just needs a door!

This is what we started with when we moved in last June. We decided with just two horses we would put off building a barn until such time as it became absolutely necessary and economically feasible. Instead we took the little carport off the garage and turned it into this:

Please click for a larger version

Sometimes my perfectionism stops me. Often I think if I can’t have exactly what I want, I should wait until I can. This time we took the little that we had and improved it to the point where it serves our needs to perfection. Is it that perfect barn of my dreams? Nope, it is simple and minimalist, but it’ll do and the mares are happy.

Today is a very exciting day around the farm. After enduring many fractuosities (which is a big word for the whole lotta crazy stuff that happened) our big red mare was bred today! I noted over the weekend an increase in Sparrow’s “friendly” feelings, we had the vet out on Wednesday. Dr Brian took care of several things, like Halo’s 2nd Pneumabort shot (getting close now!) and then he “probed” Sparrow. She was less than thrilled with this turn of events. However, we were thrilled to see this:

So we ordered the semen from her future baby daddy and sent her to the vet to spend the weekend. She was inseminated for the first time today with a lovely 4.5 cm follicle. The vet said the semen was beautiful (only an equine vet would say such a thing….lol) 65% motility. She will be inseminated again tomorrow and then the wait will begin.
Here is our girl 2006 Chestnut Thoroughbred Dixie Dash (truly horrible name so we call her Sparrow)

Colorado is the very first Knabstrupper to complete the 70 day testing process! Where he placed 3rd in Dressage and 5th overall (and that was after his 5% age deduction!), with 9.5 for temperament, 9’s on character constitution, rideability, and trainability, and 8s and 8.5s for his gaits.

Colorado is owned by Avalon Equines. I cannot say enough about how truly helpful, knowledgeable and kind his owner Kathy St. Martin is! If you are looking for a stallion I would recommend checking out hers!

Our new flock has arrived. They will be 1 week old tomorrow. We ordered 5 Buff Orpington pullets, 5 Silver-laced Wyandotte pullets and 5 mixed Golden-laced Polish. We received 1 extra Buff Orpington and lost 1 of our Silver-laced chicks. So we have 15 fats little chicks left. They are fluff balls of adorableness!

We completed Halo’s new paddock and took the girls completely off the grass on March 19th. Today we finished fencing in the front ¼ of an acre and let them out for the first time in almost a month. Needless to say they were beyond excited. If you have never attempted to lead two Thoroughbreds from dry lots across bountiful grass after they have been put up for almost a whole month…..well don’t!

The fan is up, the lighting is up, the manure bunker is complete (until we get further wood) AND we have some really wonderful looking raised beds for our garden filled with lovely compost.

I have learned something very important about myself during these past 10 months of hard work here the farm. I would rather sweat and struggle and pick ticks off my worn out carcass every day working for myself than sit in my nice air-conditioned office working for the man!

For those of you who have been wondering what happened to us…..winter happened. The freezing temperatures meant busting more ice than I care to think about and watching hay disappear at an expected, but nonetheless, depressing rate. We lost our entire flock of hens and guineas to a late night carnival of blood by some local carnivore. Mostly though, winter is a time for waiting. Waiting for daylight and the ability that comes along with it for working folk to actually DO stuff after 5:00. However, it wasn’t all bad:

Over the winter I spent a lot of time thinking about the projects we would need to complete once the wait was over. We need to add internal fencing to allow for pasture rotation. We need to add a paddock for Halo so that both mares can have access to shelter and be kept off the grass for a couple of months. Then her stall needs a second door so she can get in said paddock. We need a light in the barn and some outdoor lighting around the garage. The girls need an industrial barn fan so this summer isn’t quite as miserable as the last (especially for the much anticipated foal!). We need a web cam with night vision so we can spy on Halo when the time draws near. We need a manure bunker to add some structure to our out of control shit! We need lime for the pasture. About 1.8 tons per acre according to our soil report. We need raised beds for vegetables because I cannot continue to condone paying $1.48 for a green pepper! We need a new and improved chicken coop and a new flock. We need to clean land any chance we get for expansion. We need to clean out all creeks on our land to allow some damp spots to dry out. We also need to breed Sparrow to her chosen beau. And of course, await the impending birth of our farm’s first born.

Well, I am exhausted just from writing that all down! Wish us luck as we kick off Spring 2011 on our farm with……lots of work!

While I can think of many reasons farming is fantastic, today I will stick to just 3.

#1 Constant Improvement

Around the farm there is always something to work on. There is always a project that needs completion, or land that needs clearing, or fence that needs work. Once finished, you have the powerful sense of accomplishment that only witnessing change wrought with your own hands (or heavy powered machinery) can bring.

Project Completion

This is the greatest nesting box in the world! You are certainly free to disagree, but you MUST post pictures of a different one in order to do so. AND I must add that this nesting box was made by TheManWhoKnowsEverything using an old bench and scrap wood he had lying around.

Clearing Land

Clearing Land

If you compare the right hand sides of the two above pictures you will see how much we accomplished….not to mention the fun of FIRE!

Working on Fence

If you haven’t balanced a fencepost on your head have you truly lived?

#2 Involving the Kids

I cannot think of better way to teach children a good work ethic than farming. They learn that work produces results. They learn responsibility and patience through the care of animals. They also learn super important things like chicken poop stinks way worse than horse poop. Maybe all this teaches them the important noble lessons that we hope or perhaps it just teaches them to live in loft apartments in big cities.

Buddy Working

Red Working the Wheelbarrow

#3 Living with Horses!

This reason is self explanatory….but an excuse to post pictures nonetheless!

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On August 4th we decided that we wanted to have a vet come out and check Halo to see where she was in her cycle. The stud we had chosen for her closes the breeding shed September 1st. All of the moves for the girls and for us had been very financially and mentally draining, and it might have made sense to wait and bred both mares in the Spring. After all there was only this tiny window of opportunity. That could mean a good bit of wasted money. Trusting God can often seems like taking a chance.

Halo had shown no signs of heat at all, so I had no expectations. I was at work when the vet called and said “When were you planning on breeding this mare?”

“As soon as possible.”

“Well she has a 4.3 follicle, so how bout tomorrow?”

For those of you who don’t know, a mare usually ovulates at around a 3.5! The vet wanted to know if I could get the semen there by noon the next day. He called me at 11 pm. The breeder can only guarantee next day receipt if you call before 12! Luck? No. God wants us to be successful. I believe that.

The vet bred Halo via Artificial Insemination on August 5th and August 6th. On the 5th her follicle size was a 5.1 and he gave her a shot to induce ovulation. This is important to note for future breedings as mares often follow a consistent pattern with regards to their individual reproductive cycle. If we had checked her a day or two earlier we would have bred her too soon and missed out on this year’s breeding.

The vet returned on August 24th and ultrasounded to confirm a singleton on the left horn.